Networks and parameters

Nodes are the building blocks of the scene. The Houdini scene is built from nodes organized in networks. Different network types control different parts of Houdini.

Using the shelf tools automatically creates nodes. For example, when you click the Box tool on the Create shelf tab, Houdini creates a new Geometry container object with a Box node inside. You can also create nodes manually in the network editor. This is how advanced work is often done in Houdini. Pressing ⇥ Tab in the network editor opens a menu of all nodes available in the current network type.

Some nodes can contain other nodes. For example, a Geometry Container object node lives at the scene level. It contains a network of surface nodes that define the geometry of the object. See node navigation for information on how you move inside and out of container nodes.

Each node in a network performs a specific function. In geometry, compositing, and CHOP networks, each node creates or modifies data passing through the node. At the scene level, nodes represent objects (such as props, bones, lights, and cameras) with transforms and parenting relationships. In the render network, nodes represent rendered outputs (images or animation), and links between the nodes define render dependencies.